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Thursday, May 7

For a few years we have had two regular visitors to the pier. Every morning and every afternoon, at about 5pm i paperi, the ducks fly into town from a not so distant valley. They land on the beach not far from the pier, ruffle their feathers into place, take a quick look around to see that everything is as it should be and then they set to work.Mrs Duck lets out a quaaaack and bustles off towards the pier with her husband close behind. He follows her dutifully, although if I were him I would hang my head in embarrasment at my wifes performance.

For it truly is a performance. If nobody comes to greet these ducks with a food offering, Mrs Duck gets very unhappy. She waddles over to the pier, quacking loudly and picks out one of the boat boys to harass. The other day she chose Gigino and we watched delighted as Mrs Duck chased him angrily around the pier, quacking loudly at the top of her voice, trailed by her ever faithful husband, until Gigino surrendered and ran to the nearest bar for some slices of bread.Once the ducks have been fed they calm down and wander around the pier, nodding their heads at everybody and quacking quietly together. Sometimes they go for a swim on the sea, happily bobbing along with the rythym of the waves.

A few years ago they had babies, but were devestatedd when the seagulls got them all. The next year the locals kept watch and as soon as Mrs Duck layed her eggs a shelter was built around the nest on the beach and guarded carefully night and day. How lovely it was one day to see Mr and Mrs Duck arrive on the pier with a whole gaggle of ducklings! Of course the young'uns grew up and moved away, as young'uns tend to do, but Mr and Mrs Duck still bring a smile to everyones faces when they land on the pier each day.

I KNEW someone would point out that the male duck was in front of the female in these photos!I know my ducks Erin!Lets just say that these pics were taken after they had eaten and the female was calm and happy!

Nell said,remember Jemmina Puddle duck.I think that's how it was spelled I loved that story and yours as well.

May I just inquire Charlie, what is with the new web cam it is absolute crap,It was better before at least you could see the tide come in and the ferry's jockeying to get their passengers off ,people walking about now its just a still image.

I loved reading this story. I can just picture Mrs. Duck quacking and harassing the boat boy until he got her some bread. It is nice to hear that the locals protected the eggs the second time. I did not know that the young'uns take off after they grow up. Thanks for sharing this great story with us.